Center Of The Sun
by Illusional.Rain
Summary: He often wondered why they kept her in their group but never voiced it...Chise. An ordinary water bender with no amazing skills or talents. No pleasing or outstanding features either...so what makes her so special to the group...why do they keep her?


Disclaimer: I totally forgot this the first time I put it up...so I'm doing it now. I don't own Avatar. I only own Chise.

AN: I hope you like this is the first story I've tried to write in awhile I hope to finish this one. It takes place before the firebending masters, it's kinda like a filler in between the real episodes. I'm trying to keep them in character tell me if I don't. This is going to be rated teen for future chapters. Tell me what you think of Chise too. That would be really appreciated. Summary sucks I know.

Summary: Chise, your average water bender, or so it seems from the outside at least. She wasn't like most girls or benders for the matter. There was something...off about her. Zuko is determined to find out exactly what is so special about this water bender. Why, and how she fits into the avatars group, why Sokka has such an infatuation with someone so plan compared to all the others. What will happen between the two as the story progresses? Love? Hate? Read to find out.

Center Of The Sun

Chapter 1

Anything But Ordinary

_He often wondered why they kept her in their group but never voiced it as he wanted to stay on Katara's good side.  
_

She wasn't a prodigy bender like Toph who could do amazing things while being blind, no she had no visible handicaps. She couldn't use her bending skills to heal people like Katara nor was she gorgeous like Mai. She was no avatar by any means, her water bending was weak compared to Katara's but as far as he knew she choose for it to be that way. Instead of relying on her bending skills like her water bending friend she choose to be more like Sokka but she wasn't very good with most weapons. She wasn't flexible like Tai Lee, as for her body not that he knew of at least. The clothes were too baggy to show any curves that she could possibly have, the girl wore baggy pants and sleeveless shirts that covered her stomach like Toph. So what was left to her?

_Chise was nothing special from the outside, she was your average everyday, ordinary girl.  
_

By all means she was your average, everyday girl with no visible interesting traits other then her eyes and petite figure, which she again chose to hide behind her hair dark hair and baggy clothes. Chise had long,smooth, dark chocolate hair that went to just below her waist with choppy bangs taking on a similar appearance to his own and like him she just left them to cover her eyes. Often, he noted she just left her hair loose occasionally trying it near the bottom with a white ribbon, again nothing special. Her skin was slightly lighter then your typical water tribe person taking on a warm honey tone but yet when she was in crowd she blended right in. So when they reached a particularly crowded site he would often lose sight of her and not be able to find her again, it was her who found him. Her eyes were the only semi noticeable unique trait about her, they went from a deep blue like the ocean or night sky to a crystal blue as it got closer to her pupil. Anyone who knew her well enough could read her easily because of eyes. How did he know that? Simple, he was one of them.

Chise was always with Sokka and Toph, he knew about Sokka's feelings for the girl he made it obvious he was sure that even Toph who was was blind could tell. At the moment Sokka was apologizing frantically to the girl for accidentally pushing her into a fountain when he tripped trying to show off in front of her while Toph was laughing at the two. Again. Every time it happened, Chise would smile brightly at him and brush it off like it was nothing. No matter what it was, once he remembered Sokka trying to teach her how to use his boomerang only to have it hit the girl in the head when he threw it to demonstrate. He didn't get what Sokka found so unique and interesting about her compared to the other girls he had met...

"Hey Zuko want to come spar with us? We know this great spot too." Haru offered interrupting his musing on a certain _ordinary_ water tribe girl.  
"Actually Zuko do you think you could go get some supplies from town? We're running a little low on food." Aang asked holding up a very empty bag with one of his overly large smiles making the fire bender sweat drop.  
"I'll go with you if you don't mind, I wanted to pick up a few things myself." Chise inquired walking up to the group with Sokka not far behind giving Zuko a slight glare to back off with Chise.  
"I think I'll go too then." Sokka said, Zuko rolled his eyes at the younger boy, like he wanted to do anything with her. She wasn't even that pretty, he liked Mai.  
"Really? Are you sure you want to Sokka?" Chise asked him looking up making her bangs fall out of her eyes which resulted in Sokka blushing and nodding silently.  
"Great! I'll fly you guys up and you can walk from there, I hope that's okay with you." Aang said jumping on Appa motioning for the others to follow. Sokka opened his mouth to protest but Chise placed her hand in his automatically silencing any protests he would've made.

A walk full of Sokka's insesent complaining and trying to look amazing, along with Chise's soft laughs and comments at things he did or said later, Zuko was glad they were at the village. He'd had enough of Sokka but he had learned something, Chise **never** giggled. Not once on the entire walk did she giggle, it was always a soft laugh or chuckle **but** never a giggle.

_Chise_

She knew he was watching her with those ever observant gold eyes of his, she always knew. She never let on that she knew he was watching her, Chise let Zuko remain oblivious to her knowledge. Chise didn't let it bother her, by now she was use to it so she smiled warmly and turned to face the two boys she was with.

"I guess is where we part, I'm going to go get my stuff. I'll see you two later." Chise told the two boys, Sokka's bottom lip jutted out when he heard the last part. Chise caught _him_ rolling his eyes at Sokka, it almost made her laugh instead Chise just smiled at Zuko and left the two wondering, or in Sokka's case pouting.

Chise had been walking along the crowded market place looking for anything that remotely caught her eye so far nothing had. Nothing out of the the hour she had spent aimlessly browsing. No she really didn't have to get anything, Chise just wanted the two to spend time together so hopefully they'd be friends. _Zuko needed them._ Chise thought to herself eyeing something that had shone in her eye from a vendor. The water tribe girl walked over curiously examing the hair ornament that had blinded her. It was about the size of her palm in the shape of a butterfly, it was painted a dark purple with lavender outlining it. On the wings small gems were embedded, she had found the cuplrit that blinded her. All in all the ornament was gorgeous but way out her spending range so instead, just above the butterfly was a simpler modest necklace. On a chain rope chain a small red crystal in the shape of a drop hung. To her it was beautiful, and wouldn't break her money pouch for buying it.

"So you like the butterfly huh?" The vendor asked her with a knowing smile, one that she was sure he gave all his customers.

"Yeah, it's really pretty but I wouldn't be able to afford it..."She trailed off looking at it with slight longing.

"There's a story that goes along with it would you like to hear it?"

"Would you mind?"

"Of course not. The man I bartered it from told me it once belonged to an Air Tribe priestess, like many priestess' she was beautiful but unattenable. She had pledged her life to her people, promising to protect them at all costs. One night a weary traveler made his way up the steps of her temple, being who she was she didn't deny him shelter. The man stayed for many days refusing to leave her proclaiming he fell in love with her the moment he laid eyes on her. The priestess' was appalled and shocked at first refusing to speak or be near him...but eventually she fell in love with him too breaking her oath. One day she walked in on him practicing fire bending, again she was shocked that he could keep such a big thing from her. Their love was forbidden, star crossed from the start. Their respecting nations found out and sent assassins out to the respecting party. The night before she was murdered he gave her the clip to signify their love for one another and that one day their love would be free. There would be no boundaries for it. He was crushed when he found her the next morning lying peacefully on her bed, she had been poisoned. He couldn't bare to live life without her in it, though he didn't have to wait long only moments later he too was murdered though he was he died with a smile on his face. Their love was finally free. Or at least that's what I was told." The vendor told her nodding to himself.

"Wow...That's so...romantic but sad. I still can't afford it I'm sorry. I would like the little red pendant above it though." Chise explained as she looked at the clip with sad smile.

"You'd pick the simple necklace over the gorgeous clip?" A voice asked curiously behind her. Chise turned around with a smile to see the two boys she had left earlier.

"Yep, even if I like it I can't buy it. If you can you should get it for Mai so when you see her I'm sure she'd forgive you with something as beautiful as that, ne?" She suggested with a knowing smile and wink to Zuko.

"I thi-" Zuko was interrupted by a grumpy Sokka.

"I can buy it for you Chi!" Sokka offered brightly to her pulling out his money...only to find he didn't have enough. He let out a defeated sigh, Chise put a reassuring hand over his open hand containing the little amount of money he had.

"It's alright the necklace is pretty besides Sokka something like that clip wouldn't suit someone like me. I'd never have anyplace to wear something like that." The petite girl reassured him she turned back to the vendor to pay for her necklace only to have Sokka thrust the money he had at the man to purchase the necklace for her. Chise blushed as Sokka tied it around her neck neither of the two water tribe teens noticed as Zuko purchased the pricey clip from the man.

"Thank you Sokka but you didn't have to."

"Aw it's nothing, I wanted to." Sokka replied blushing slightly and rubbing the back of his had embarrassed which was about to get worse. Chise slowly walked up to the taller boy and stood on her tippy toes to plant a light feathery kiss on his cheek in thanks. That was before she took off laughing to herself as she ran through the streets back to the way they came. In her wake she left a bemused fire bender and a dazed water tribe boy.

AN: There's chapter one, I know a little bland but everything has to start someplace. Hopefully I'll get the next chapter out really soon. Review please? I'd like to know if it's worth continuing.


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